Featuring Alex From Fragment Machinery | Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl 23-02-2010
For the first question will be - Thanks Alex that you have found time to give answers to these questions,How are you doing?
I'm fine thank you for being part of your internet music community.
Hello Alex what noise do you make in Fragment Machinery?
Fragment Machinery is a one man show. I'm doing everything on my own...sound design, arrangement and production related parts.
How's the start of 2010 been for you thus far?
Great. I have received a lot of very nice feedback about my music.
do you know the netherland?
Yes i did a sailing tour on the IJsselmeer 10 years ago. Very nice and friendly people....
For a lot of people, this is probably going to be their first full introduction to Fragment Machinery so how about you tell us a little bit about how you guys know each other and how the band came together?
As i said above Fragment Machinery is a one man show....only me and my machines. So nobody to introduce beside me ;-) I've started making music fifteen years ago. Making music represents a very serious hobby for me. But i don't follow the rules... i'm creating songs not whole albums. A complete record isn't the adequate medium for me. I will release songs from time to time. That is my big masterplan right now ;-)
Do you follow the electronic music Electro / Industrial / Experimental , do you have any other favourite bands?
I'm trying to listen to other music as much as i can. Most of today's bands present their songs online so it's pretty easy to find some interesting stuff. My biggest influence seems to be Nine Inch Nails.
How is your relationship with other electronic bands?
I have a good relationship with a band called Minusheart. They have released their album debut Disease last year. I have contributed a remix of the song Icehouse.
Can you give us a brief run-through of Fragment Machinery story so far
Fragment Machinery was founded in 2007. At this time i thought the time was right to publish a few tracks under a new project name. My first cd track release was 2008 i think. I took part of a compilation published by the german Synthesizer Magazin.
How did you start to make music and what is Gothic for you?
My very early musical influences i received from bands like Korn and NIN... the dark side of guitar shredding. This was the time i started to learn how to play guitar on my own. On the other hand artists like prodigy and chemical brothers started to grow popular. I like the dark side of musical expression in every sense.
What did you guys do for a living before Fragment Machinery?
The right question is: What i am doing beside Fragment Machinery ;-)? I'm working fulltime as a software developer and architect.
When did you form Fragment Machinery? What inspired you to make music together?
I got my first inspiration to produce synthesizer based music when i heard a remix of a Ann Clarke song called Our Darkness. After i heard the track about thousand times i started my first electro experiments.
What are your top ten favorite Electro / Industrial / Experimental Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by? What would you consider your favorite cd's?
All the stuff produced by Nine Inch Nails belongs to my all time favorite musical activity.
Other artists on my heavy rotation list:
- SITD
- VNV Nation
- Mindless Faith
- Depeche Mode
- Unterart
- Rotersand
- Rabia Sorda
- Nick Cave
What are the future plans for Fragment Machinery?
Making a lot of good tracks with interesting experimental sounds. Maybe i will offer my songs via digital music distribution in the futue. We will see....
Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
No and i think that a record label is not the right way to promote my tracks because my songs are finished when they are finished. I have a full time job beside the music...it's not very easy to observe a deadline to finish a complete record under this circumstances.
What are you currently listening to on your MP3 player?
I'm listening to SITD a lot at the moment. And Nick Cave....
By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)
Everything is alright with your questions ;-)
What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?
I don't think i'm follow a concrete way to compose my songs. I receive my influence from miscellaneous topics around me. Everything that makes me think about it is applicable to create a song for. I'm not a typical songwriter... my lyrics are more like scraps of a conversation.
What’s the name of your band? where did the name come from? or what's the story behind the band name?
The first name of the project was just Fragment. But there are so many other bands using this name i decided to renamed the project to Fragment Machinery. Very unique i think. The rest is interpretation for everybody who like my tracks.
If people don't know what you and your music are about, how would you describe Fragment Machinery?
I hope my style of writing songs is unique in this way. I'm trying to create interesting sounds...never heard before in this context. But that is a decision of my audience.
where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell us a few words about the concept of this?
I don't think i have a real concept. I'm trying to make music that represents me and hopefully other people like that too. I don't like stereotyped thinking. Every time i started a new track i try to create something unique.
Some quick fire questions: gitar or synthesizer?
Synthesizer.
band or solo
Solo.
How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album
I don't produce whole albums so no promotional activity on the todo list.
What do you think of a modern Gothic and about Electro / Industrial / Experimental scene?
My opinion about the current music scene is a little bit ambivalent. There are a lot of great bands out there with a very unique sound and great ideas. But on the other hand many tracks are very boring. A little bit of stagnation in the music scene i think. But that's not a problem of the industrial/electro scene in my opinion it's more general.
What's your favourite track of yours?
I don't have a favourite track of mine... i like all my songs more or less otherwise i would have mothballed them.
What and who gets you excited about music today?
Modern and experimental sounds....something fresh and never heard before.
Our usual question - what is music for you?
Music is a important part of my life. I don't know what i would do without making music.
What was your best live experience so far?
Fragment Machinery is founded as a studio project only. So no live experience so far....
Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member
I'm 33 years old......
What are your views on the current state of this Electro / Industrial / Experimental scene in Germany.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
I don't separate the music scene in different countries. I'm proud of getting listener feedback from all over the world. In my opinion you are able to find a lot of talented and creative musicians in every country regardless of nationality.
you have very nice numbers` tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song?
There is no concrete approach for me. A lot of trial and error. Every track has it's own story. My lyrical compositions are more like scraps of a conversation. Spoken words support the sound design. Sounds are the epicentre of my musical inspiration.
What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
It's a mix of EBM, Industrial, Dark Electro and Dancefloor together with ethnic elements.
Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?
In my opinion every commercial oriented artists has to face the big bang in the musical industry. Nothing stays the same nowadays. But at the moment i'm not very interested in commercial success. That gives me the alternative to do what i want. But...what the heck...i would not decline a good offer.
Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?
I don't believe that someone expected something from me in the past ;-)
what is the key to making music from Fragment Machinery and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
Music making is fun to me. It's satisfaction and a little bit of obsession. It helps me to relax. Feedback from the audience keeps these feelings alive.
How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-Electro / Industrial / Experimental music ? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind
Digital downloads are the future of music in my opinion. Everything is changing at the moment. I'm very curious about the future digital music distribution concepts. Innovative music will always survive.Right now i'm not commercial oriented...so ask me again under new circumstances ;-)
what was your childhood like?
Nothing to complain about. Nice of you to ask.
If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?
I always try to bring out the best of every idea. I hope that this case is audible.
Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here
A lot of new stuff in the pipeline but so little time. Please check my internet presentation from time to time.
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
In hope my music evolves constantly. Every time i start producing a new track i have a new vision in mind.
Any last words?
I would like to thank all the people that gave me constructive feedback over the last years. Feedback from the audience is the way to improve my skills writing music and the motivation to make good music (hopefully).
Thank you for your time Alex.Good luck
I have to say thank you for showing interest in my musical work.
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